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Monday, September 30, 2019

Discrimination Paper Essay

As you all probably know: discrimination is any situation in which a group or individual is treated differently based on something other than individual reason, usually their membership in a socially distinct group or category. These categories include ethnicity, sex, religion, age or disability. Discrimination can be thought of as favorable or unfavorable; however, today, â€Å"discrimination† is usually considered unfavorable. Racial discrimination, discrimination against women, and discrimination outside the United States, are some of the most common types of discrimination in the world. One of the most pervasive forms of discrimination in the United States is directed toward racial groups. There has always been conflict among the different races of people. The Constitution of the United States recognized the legality of slavery, the ultimate form of discrimination. Black males are one of the most common victims of discrimination. For example, a black male in the â€Å"ghetto† walks into a convenient store, the first thing that comes to the clerks mind is robbery or maybe even worse. African-Americans and other people of different races other than white have always been mistreated or judged just because of their color. Racial discrimination against Hispanic-Americans is also widespread. Employment, housing, and access to the judicial system is a problem for people other than whites. Asian-Americans also suffer discrimination. During World War II, the Japanese were forced to evacuate from the West Coast. American women have been victimized by discrimination in voting, employment, and other civil rights. Women were once known as â€Å"housewives†, and many men and women still think that is what a woman should be. Not only do people think women shouldn’t work, but they don’t think they should vote, serve on juries, or do anything else other than sit at home and do house work. In the late 160’s women organized to demand legal equality with men. They organized into the National Organization for Women and other groups for education, employment, and government. In 17, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was passed to the Constitution and submitted to the states for ratification. The ERA was suppose to eliminate legal discrimination against women, but it was not approved by the 18 deadline. Working toward the ERA built a skilled leadership of female politicians and lobbyists. Most nations practice discrimination against foreigners within their borders. It may be religious, such as Muslims against Jews, Protestants against Catholics; racial, or sexual discrimination, as in many countries where women have few rights. People in other countries are always fighting because of discrimination. International efforts to combat discrimination were minimal until the passage of the United Nations Charter in 145. The charter encourages â€Å"respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion. Discrimination causes great conflict among many people. Regardless of race, religion, sex, or any other characteristics, a person should not be discriminated. Discrimination is one of the reasons this country is falling apart. Every man and woman whether they are black, white, yellow or green should be able to equally do what ever they wish. Most people don’t realize that every person, color not mattering, came from the same place.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

“A Young Birch” by Robert Frost Poetry Analysis Essay

In the poem â€Å"A Young Birch†, Robert Frost establishes the futility of existence despite having beauty through the use of symbols, structure, and imagery. Although the birch tree is beautiful, its life is meaningless and its death is unavoidable. The speaker describes the birch tree’s life, but in the end, the struggles that the birch tree faced were pointless. Frost establishes the birch tree’s beauty through the use of symbols in the colour white. The colour white symbolizes beauty and purity. Frost compares the birch’s beauty to the sun’s ability to be bright. â€Å"Soon entirely white / To double day and cut in half the dark† (ll 4-5) The speaker comments on the birch’s ability, being beautiful, to make the days twice as bright, establishing the blinding beauty of the birch tree. The colour white symbolizes not only beauty, but death. Frost uses this symbolism to establish the inevitability of death. â€Å"†¦crack it’s outer sheath / Of baby green and show the white beneath† (ll 1-2) Frost uses the speaker’s comment on the growth of the birch tree to establish the beauty that was always within the tree, but also death, which is apart of every natural living being. Frost establishes the birch tree’s beauty, but also the inevitable death in his use of symbolism in the colour white. Frost establishes the futility of existence through the use of symbols. The speaker describes the growth of the birch tree through the comparison of its size to different man-made objects, the cane and the fishing pole. The cane and the fishing pole are symbols of the birch tree’s growth. â€Å"At first to be no bigger than a cane, / And then no bigger than a fishing pole,† (ll 14-15) The cane and the fishing pole also represent the birc h tree’s inevitable death. These man-made objects are made of wood, which are essentially dead trees. The speaker describes the ever-present force of death, even in the growing stages of life. Frost establishes a sense of futility in the birch tree’s growth. Frost establishes the lack of meaning in the birch tree’s life. The use of the word ornament represents the birch tree’s meaningless life, although being beautiful. This symbol establishes that the only purpose of the birch’s life is to be a beautiful object and nothing more. â€Å"To live its life out as an ornament† (ll 22) The speaker comments that the birch tree’s life is fruitless. Frost establishes the futility of existence in growing and living because of a purposeless existence through his use of symbols.  Frost establishes life and growth as futile through his use of structure. The poem, â€Å"A Young Birch†, is divided into two sections through the tense that is used, present tense and past tense, establishing that life is only a small part of existence and that death is the overpowering force. Frost uses sentence structure and length to represent the birch tree’s growth. Each sentence, with the exception of the transition sentence and concluding sentence, is slightly larger than the last. As the birch tree’s growth is described in the poem, the length of the sentences grows too. The sentence lengths reach a climax of 10 lines and it is cut short abruptly, representing the way death cuts life. Frost establishes death as dominant to life through his use of structure. Frost establishes the birch tree’s imminent death through his use of imagery. The speaker describes the sound of the birch tree breaking out of its outer cover, a stage in its maturity and growth. â€Å"The birch begins to crack its outer sheath / Of baby green and show the white beneath† (ll 1-2) The breaking out of the outer layer of the birch provides a vivid description of the birch tree’s struggles in life. Frost emphasizes the futility in the struggle of life, as death is unavoidable. Frost establishes the ever-present possibility of being killed in his vivid description of death. The speaker describes those that were killed around the birch and the ease in which the birch itself can die. â€Å"He spared it from the number of the slain.† (ll 13) The image of death emphasizes the loneliness of the birch tree, despite having beauty, and the inevitability of death in the birch tree as well. Frost establishes the vulnerability of living things and the benefit in accepting death through his use of imagery. Frost establishes the dominant nature of death to life and the lack of purpose and meaning in life. He establishes that even in growth, purity, and beauty, death is unavoidable and acceptance of death is beneficial. Frost establishes the imminent nature of death and the futility of existence in â€Å"A Young Birch† through his use of imagery, structure, and symbols.

Friday, September 27, 2019

The Resurgence of Empire in East Asia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Resurgence of Empire in East Asia - Essay Example The Tang and Song Dynasties brought significant changes to China. The Tang Dynasty was significantly a period of stability and progress. The regime maintained and supported a service system through drafting officials by standardized examinations along with recommendations to the office. China’s culture also flourished during the Tang era, as it is regarded as the greatest age for Chinese poetry (Ebrey 35). The Song Dynasty, on the other hand, introduced banknotes as a form of trade to China (Ebrey 78). No other empire, all round the world, had done this. Banknotes improved the trade and commerce of China, which made the country, even up to today, be regarded as the best traders all round the world. A notable change, during the Tang Dynasty, was the development of the woodblock printing. Woodblock printing refers to a technique of printing images, texts or patterns (Ebrey 37). Woodblock printing was used widely in East Asia, and the Tang Dynasty could take credit for introducing this technique. In reality, woodblock printing boosted the Chinese art as the art could now be printed for people to view. Social living, during the Song Dynasty, was vibrant in that social elites gathered to trade and view precious artworks, the citizens intermingled at private clubs and public festivals, and towns had lively entertainment joints. The Song Dynasty improved the socializing of the Chinese citizens (Ebrey 78). The Tang Dynasty set out to resolve internal problems within the government that had constantly overwhelmed past dynasties. The Tang Dynasty, building upon the Sui legal code, provided a new legal code, which succeeding Chinese regimes would base theirs upon, as well as neighboring empires such as Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. The visual arts of the Song regime were heightened by new developments like advances in portrait painting and landscape (Ebrey 80). The gentry’s elite, with the help of the

Will financially aid helping poor people lead to a sustainable future Essay

Will financially aid helping poor people lead to a sustainable future - Essay Example g" in his article "Lifeboat Ethics: the Case Against Helping the Poor" that, "As an ancient Chinese proverb goes: â€Å"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach him how to fish and he will eat for the rest of his days† (Hardin 22). To my point of view, helping the poor is not a good way for them. For a sustainable development, the best way is to teach them how to fight with the period of economic downturn instead of hand out useless helps. Moreover, keep financially aiding the poor will cause them do not attempt to make progress. Therefore, financially aid to poor people is not a perfect solution for poverty because it is not leading them to a sustainable future. Aiding the poor will not offer solution to the poor countries and individuals around the world as the earth can only support limited number of people. Financial aid will lead to increase in population with adverse effect on sustainability of nature. For positive alternatives to ending poverty in poor countries, the world should work towards a sustainable future. The natural resources are diminishing and peoples demands are increasing day by day, as well as the gaps of income are widening too. Therefore, sustainability is the way to go, where every individual will have a decent standard of living. The journey to a sustainable future should be done in a way that does not compromise the future generation’s needs. Thus, sustainable solutions must be done in a way that would get people out of poverty and at the same time protect the environment (Jones 39). Sustainability solutions should also consider such things like providing access to agriculture technology that doesn’t lead to climate change, providing food and water, and providing nutrition for all needy people, shaping cities in way that encourages quality of life that is decent, building effective infrastructure without causing pollution and congestion, making s ure that the marine life is free from climate change and pollution, and making

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The father and son motif in Dryden's Absalom and Achitophel Essay

The father and son motif in Dryden's Absalom and Achitophel - Essay Example Ironically, the way in which this motif permeates the poem gives rise to nearly all of the stages of the story. This essay will argue that the father-son motif in Dryden's Absalom and Achitophel demonstrates the implicit vulnerability of all patriarchal relationships; more particularly, this essay will explain how Dryden employs the father-son motif in order to highlight the danger of a patriarch loving uncritically, the danger of a patriarch offering mercy and restraint to enemies, and the painful burdens that patriarchal figures must endure if they are to survive in such a role. The poem begins almost as an apology; it is apologetic because patriarchs and fathers are forgiven in advance for the miseries to be encountered in the current age. This reference to simpler times is introduced in the first few lines, when Dryden offers that, "In pious times, ere priestcraft did begin, Before polygamy was made a sin; When man on many multiplied his kind, Ere one to one was cursedly confined; When nature prompted, and no law denied, Promiscuous use of concubine and bride;" (1-6). The implication is that there was a time when fatherhood implied no predominant obligation; indeed, this reference to pious times views the father-son relationship without the imposition of certain conditions or risks. Having a generalized duty to many people, being promiscuous and without the curse of being confined, the father may pursue his life freely. The patriarch, in short, may interact with others when nature prompts, he may choose and discard his relationships arbitrarily, and he wi ll not be judged a legitimate or illegitimate father by others. The pious times, in effect, were without negative consequences. These pious times, on the other hand, are at an end. The father-son motif, particularly with the birth of Absalom, demonstrates the most immediate vulnerability of patriarchy. Patriarchal consequences arise and vest most forebodingly with the birth of Absalom. The indifference notable in pious times is notably absent; quite the contrary, King David, was borne a son described as "So beautiful, so brave,Whether inspired by some diviner lust, His father got him with a greater gust; Or that his conscious destiny made way, By manly beauty, to imperial sway" (18-22). The "imperial sway" language is particularly significant; it is significant because King David is creating a special place in his heart and in his monarchy for Absalom. There is no longer any indifference; more interesting, the son has been elevated to a position higher than that enjoyed by either King David's other children or by King David's subjects. It is easy to ascribe the villainy to come to Achitophel, and yet the first sign of a faction is created by the father himself. To be more precise, rather than maintaining a strictly patriarchal relation to all men, King David instead elevated the s on whom would later become his enemy and the cause of much sadness. Thus, if Achitophel might be blamed for taking advantage of this father-son relationship, then King David must accept responsibility for having given so much favor to Absalom in the

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Playing by Heart Movie. Relations Between Paul And Hannah Essay

Playing by Heart Movie. Relations Between Paul And Hannah - Essay Example Theirs is a case of true love that conquered all and is the kind of marriage that is permanent and not fleeting. Gracie and Hugh’s marriage was on the rocks because boredom set in and Gracie did not think Hugh had enough imagination to make their marriage more exciting, that is why Hugh kept trying to invent stories and sell these to women in bars to prove to himself that he is still an interesting man. Gracie, however, goes off to have a physical affair with a man he thought was exciting. Their marriage was not built on a strong foundation because the commitment to each other was flimsy and consistently needed concrete proof that they were worthy of each other. Meredith and Trent’s relationship is new, thanks to Trent’s devotion and persistence in breaking down the high wall that Meredith had built around herself. Being able to get through to her was a major breakthrough that both he and Meredith had a great chance of a successful relationship. The same is true of Joan and Keenan who met casually at a bar. Although their lives seem to be shallow, once they opened up to each other and decided to become vulnerable, they discovered what love was. The movie seemed to point out that once walls are broken down and the person inside agrees to be exposed until another person gets to love him or her for what he or she is, then the love that will grow from it is true. The couples Meredith and Trent and Joan and Keenan have chances to have happy marriages and probably children to complete their families. This is because they have made a decision to be honest with each other and to live without pretenses. 2. Discuss and evaluate the primary relationship between Paul and Hannah. Explain how they deal with intimacy, power, and love and how they understand marriage. Give examples of how their behaviors express their hopes and aspirations about love, marriage, children, and family. Paul and Hannah had very different philosophies with regards to relationsh ips. Paul was in love with Wendy 25 years ago but he chose to stay with his wife and children when Wendy moved away. Hannah took everything in just to save the family from breaking apart until both of them reconciled without talking about issues that bothered them. It was only until later when they discovered how ill Paul was that they endeavoured to be open to each other. Paul revealed that he fell in love with another woman because he wanted to feel again what made Hannah fall in love with him. With Wendy, he felt great and â€Å"vindicated† as a man who had a successful wife and left in the shadows. However, no matter how he felt for Wendy, he still knew that he was committed to his family. On they both journeyed through life as marriage partners, and have now reached a milestone, celebrating 40 years of marital togetherness and raised three lovely and loving daughters who had lives of their own. 3. Did Paul have an â€Å"affair† with Wendy? Is this kind of relation ship wrong for a marriage? How do you understand the explanation that Paul gives to Hannah about his relationship with Wendy? How would you compare Paul’s relationship with Wendy and Gracie’s relationship with Roger? Paul had an emotional affair with Wendy however, they never engaged in

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Introduction to Legal Theory - What is freedom Does law necessarily Essay

Introduction to Legal Theory - What is freedom Does law necessarily restrict freedom - Essay Example This paper examines whether Thomas Hobbes’ philosophy of freedom is well taken care of under current laws. Hobbes posited that human beings are free when their actions are not under the limitation from any other party. In a liberal world, for example, Hobbes would argue that one’s enjoyment of freedom does not encompass the right to subject another person to slavery1. In addition, freedom falls short of the legal right to hit people where there is no need for self-defence. Essentially, a free individual has the wide latitude under the law to engage in whatever he or she so wishes provided that those activities do not offensively hurt or force other individuals against their own freedoms. Freedom apparently cannot encompass the legitimate right to infringe other peoples liberty because that would not only be unfair but illogical2. As Hobbes has indicated, freedom does encompass the legal right to defend oneself from offenders who try to harm or thrust their own will upon the liberal person. In some way, freedom might be real in political lenses, but socially unfavourable, for an individual to enjoy legal protection to inflict aggressive harm on other people if nobody enjoyed the freedom to not be harmed in such manner. It is the ensuing complications as to the enjoyment of freedoms that the law sets in to guarantee the maximum level of liberties which an individual should enjoy in an environment where coexistence is imperative3. In light of this, as Hobbes has said, laws do not necessarily limit freedoms; rather, they enforce a sense of self-control among the citizenry in order to ensure that every person enjoys the maximum freedom possible without behaving in a manner that would be detrimental to others4. In the United Kingdom, The Human Rights Act (HRA) 1998 is the main body of law which seeks to provide maximum freedoms to the UK citizens. The statute also seeks to safeguard the legal interests of all stakeholders in the society. The HRA envisages

Monday, September 23, 2019

Rephrasing Aging behaviour of 17-4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rephrasing Aging behaviour of 17-4 - Essay Example Continuously, layers of powder are deposited in a repeated cycle until the desired 3D structure is produced . DMLS process ensures production of parts that are fully dense and that require minimal post-processing activity. The DMLS process compares to another AM process popularly known as the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). Conceptually, both SLS and DMLS are similar however, DMLS uses uncoated pre-alloyed metal powders for the sintering material, unlike SLS which utilizes coated metal powders or polymers . The final outcome of the DMLS procedure is characterized by fine or metastable microstructures , which at times may differ with the set international standards of conventional manufacturing. Moreover, further investigation into the mechanical properties of the microstructures resulting from the DMLS process is necessary to ensure that the structures produced are compatible and able to support the practical use they are intended. During the DMLS process, yielding begins at low values of about 600 Mpa due to the complexity of the process which results from the multiple constituents and interactions of the microstructure formation, especially precipitations. During the process, the structures may have large hardenings which may elicit discrepancies on the part of micro hardness and yield stress as a result of the strain induced transformation of the austenite. The austenite transformation occurs when the whole or part of the plastic field and the accumulation of twins is retained. The low twining probability in austenite may be attributed to the rapid nucleation of the martensite plates within the high twinned austenitic regions, which causes continuous strain-induced transformation along the plastic field. In addition, the accumulation of twins in the martensite affects the plastic flow providing increase in strain hardening ability . The presence of retained austenite material may significantly influence the mechanical composition

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Scarlet and Black Reflection Essay Example for Free

Scarlet and Black Reflection Essay After seeing what type of life he has lived, the priesthood may look appealing to many. He is constantly helping people and getting in and out of trouble. The situations he finds himself in may not necessarily be because he is a priest, but rather because of the type of person he is. Fr. O’Flaherty’s drive and desire to help people makes him a saint to many people. Many priests probably would not have gone to the extent that Fr. O’Flaherty went to in helping the soldiers. He was close to death many times, but continued to fight for freedom. Some parts of this film, to me, seemed over done in the idea that Fr. O’Flaherty was some type of superhero. There is no doubt in my mind that he was an awesome person and helped many people, but do I believe that he fought evil ninja priests? Not necessarily. The spousal meaning of the body is defined as the ability of the human body, in its masculinity or femininity, to express and realize our call to a communion of persons through self-giving love. Fr. O’Flaherty lives out the spousal meaning of the body by giving himself to the Allied soldiers. The priesthood calls priests to serve the people and to try and live like Jesus did. Fr. O’Flaherty lives out this call in a greater way than most priests would. In his masculinity he is able to take matters into his own hands and protect as many people as possible. Fr. O’Flaherty was a real father figure to many people in the film and also many people who were not shown in the film. He was a prominent father figure to Francesca and her daughters because, much like a father, he was concerned for their well-being and watched out for them. Fr. O’Flaherty was also known for personally taking care of children whose parent had been killed in the war. So he was very much so a father figure to all people he encountered. Priesthood is solely as masculine call because of the very fact that priests are called to be like Jesus. Jesus was a very strong leader so the people left to be priests must be strong and masculine too. Priests are also called to live â€Å"in persona Christi. † This literally means â€Å"in the person of Christ,† and it is the act through which a priest pronounces the words of the sacramental rite. Men must do this through Jesus, so it would not be possible for a woman to become Jesus. Women marry Jesus when they become nuns, but priests marry the church, which is considered, as a whole, to be feminine. Overall I think this movie was very good in demonstrating how the church has had an affect on the world throughout history. They do not simply just sit back and pray for things to turn out right, but some members of the church (aka Fr. O’Flaherty) took action. Fr. O’Flaherty is not a prototypical hero, but I think almost every priest would want to live the type of life he did.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Continuum of Care University of Phoenix Essay Example for Free

Continuum of Care University of Phoenix Essay Long-term Care is only one piece of continuum care. Most Americans try to stay home as long as they can. People love to try and keep their independence as long as they can. Many elderly Americans are able to stay home as long as they can due to family members help and home health care aide. Most elderly people can no longer take care of themselves mentally and physically. This is when Long-term care continuum benefits the patient. The long-term care continuum consists of nursing home care and assisted living care. The first step in the continuum of care is Independent living. Elderly patients are placed in supportive housing or home based healthcare. If the patient is unsuccessful with supportive housing, we must move to the next step. The next step is providing in home care. In home care is less expensive than long term care. The cost of care for this service depends on the level of care and the hours of service the patient needs. The patient’s last choice should be long term care. Most elderly patients use Medicare or Medicaid for long term care payment. Medicare only applies to the patient’s long-term care if the patient is immediately following a hospital stay. Medicare only cover short term provider prescribed home health care for speech therapy, skilled nursing, occupational and medical social services. Medicare also covers up to 100 days of nursing home care. We are fighting today for a longer duration for long term care. The federal government should allow elderly patients more time in long term care facilities. I believe this would cut the cost of emergency room visits and hospital admittance in seniors.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Effectiveness Of Communication In Project Management

Effectiveness Of Communication In Project Management A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result (PMI, 2008, pg. 5). A project is a sequence of unique, complex and connected activities having one goal or purpose and that must be completed by a specific time, within budget, and according to specification (Wysocki and McGary, 2003, p. 3). A project comprises of number of activities that must be completed in some specific order or sequence according to their technical requirements. Activities in a project are unique, complex and connected in a sense that no two activities can occur under the same conditions which make them unique; the activities are not simple, and the output of one activity becomes the input to another which makes them connected (Wysocki and McGary, 2003). The most important difference between the management control of on-going operations and the management control of projects is that the on-going operations continue indefinitely, whereas a project starts, moves forward from one milestone to the next, and then stops (Anthony and Govindarajan, 2005, p. 790). Projects are temporary, unique and require progressive elaboration (Gardiner, 2005, p. 2). The first characteristic is that projects have a definite life span and they exist for a limited time varying from few days to several years although its end products may sustain indefinitely. This temporary nature of project indicates a definite beginning and an end. The end is reached when the objectives of the project are achieved; the need for project no longer exists or the objectives of the project cannot be met due to lack of resources and the project is terminated. The second characteristic is that each and every project will be different from other projects in their own way. The last characteristic is that as the project progresses, work required is slowly defined with information being added over time (Gardiner, 2005). A project usually has a single objective and the time horizon is the end of the project. The objective of a project is to produce a satisfactory product, within a specified time period, and at an optimum cost (Burke, 2007). Projects often involve trade-offs between scope, schedule, and cost (Gardiner, 2005). Less scope might mean less costs or a shortened schedule leads to overtime and thus increasing costs. Plans for projects can be changed frequently and drastically. A project begins when management has reviewed the nature of what is to be done in the project and approved it. The project ends when its objective has been accomplished, or when it has been cancelled. Projects can be of various durations. Some project may last for a few days, a few weeks, or several years. Its content can be similar to work done before, or unlike anything ever done before (Burke, 2007). Most projects start small, build up to a peak activity and then taper off as completion near (Anthony and Govindaraja n, 2005). An international project is a project that involves multiple locations, entities, organizations and business units (Lientz and Rea, 2003). International projects typically are simultaneously multicultural projects relating to diverse cultures be it national, organizational, or functional cultures (KÃ ¶ster, 2010, p.3). In international projects, stakeholders and organizations who have different cultural and educational background work together. International projects are different from national projects because of language and dialect variations; religious practices; legal, regulatory and reporting requirements; technology level differences in different areas (Lientz and Rea, 2003). The difference between standard projects and international projects are shown in the table below: Attribute Standard projects International Projects Organizations Single Multiple organizations and departments System and technology Homogeneous Multiple systems Culture Single and common culture Multiple, varied cultures Organization Can be focussed on the project Many other competing demands for resources Self-interest More easily understood More complex to understand Table 1 Comparison of standard and international projects (Lientz and Rea, 2003) In short, a project can be considered as a series of activities and tasks that have A specific objective Defined start and end dates Consume human and nonhuman resources Are multifunctional 2.2. Project Life Cycle A project can be considered to have a life-cycle that is divided into four phases. Those phases are: Initiation and definition, Planning and development, Execution and control and finally Closure (Gardiner, 2005; Burke, 2007; Keeling, 2000). A clear understanding of these phases permits the project manager to control resources effectively to achieve the project objectives. D:DocumentsMscDissertationRequiredPlc.JPG Figure 2 Project Life Cycle (Gardiner, 2005) 2.2.1 Initiation and definition This phase represents the start of the project. This is a conceptual phase which includes the preliminary evaluation of an idea (Kerzner, 2006). This phase sets the scope of the project (Gardiner, 2005; Keeling, 2000). It forms the basis for deciding if a particular function or feature is within the scope of the project. This is the phase where new ideas and options are considered and tested to ensure the project objectives can be achieved making use of resources effectively (Burke, 2007). The project ideas are usually derived from the identification of a demand, an available resource or a need (Potts, 2002). The initiation and definition phase is mainly about formulating goals and strategies (Keeling, 2000). 2.2.2 Planning and development During the planning phase, the time plan is set into detail and the planning of the project is conducted with great accuracy. In the project planning phase, a project planning team specifies the rough estimates that were made when it was decided to implement the project. The project planning phase is often the most challenging phase for a project manager as he/she needs to make an educated guess of the stakeholders to be involved, resources and equipment needed to complete the project (Wysocki and McGray, 2003). The project manager needs to plan communications and procurement activities and create a comprehensive suite of project plans which set out a clear project roadmap ahead (Gardiner, 2005). Planning helps in reducing uncertainty, increases understanding of the goals and objectives to be achieved and improves resource efficiency (Wysocki and McGray, 2003). Thus detailed specifications for the product, time schedules, and cost budget are prepared and a management control system, a task control system and an organization chart developed. Furthermore a responsible manager is identified for each work package. Even on projects with little complexity a plan for planning exists and the planning process itself can be seen as a subproject (Anthony and Govindarajan, 2005). 2.2.3 Execution and control This is the phase in which the plans are put into operation (Keeling, 2000). The rate of expenditure is at its peak in this phase (Gardiner, 2005; Burke, 2007). Executing the plan involves four steps (Wysocki and McGray, 2003) Identify the specific resources that will be required to accomplish the work defined in the plan. Assign workers to activities. Schedule activities with specific start and end dates. Launch the plan. No matter how attentive the team is when creating the plan, the project work may not go according to plan. There may always be some schedule slips (Wysocki and McGray, 2003). To minimize this, the progress of the project should be regularly monitored. This is usually done in the controlling phase. Completed work is measure against the plan to monitor the progress of the project and avoid potential problems which may occur in the future. 2.2.4 Closing Closing a project means that the project has been completed and the results of the project can be submitted to the client. The closing phase evaluates what occurred during the project and provides historical information for use in planning and executing later projects (Keeling, 2000; Kerzner, 2006). 2.3. Role of Project Manager The role of project manager is to attain the project objectives (Gardiner, 2005). The project manager must be experienced, capable, and competent in getting the project work done on time, within budget and according to specification (Wysocki and McGray, 2003). The project manager must simultaneously see to the needs of the sponsor and other stakeholders, manage the project life cycle and the performance of the project team, including his or her performance (Gardiner, 2005). It is a role that involves a mix of abilities, combining management with leadership and political awareness (Pinto, 2000). The project manager is responsible for coordinating and integrating activities across multiple, functional lines. The integration activities performed by the project manager include activities which are necessary to develop a project plan; execute a plan and to make changes to the plan (Kerzner, 2006). A project manager must be able to understand the project detail but manage from the overall perspective (PMI, 2008). As an architect of the project plan, the project manager must provide complete task definitions; resource requirement definitions; major time table milestones; definition of end item quality and reliability requirements and the basis for performance measurement (Kerzner, 2006). Project managers influence people to take action (Gardiner, 2005). This requires an ability to communicate in a style appropriate for the individual concerned. If communication in the project is of low quality, the project will be more likely to fail (Armstrong, 1992). People working within a project always communicate but the quality of the communication must be high. The purpose and direction of the project lie on the ability of the project manager to communicate well with the partners within the project (Briner et al., 1996). One important role of the project leader is to create active communication among the project members by staying in touch with individuals and passing information between different members and between them and the funding organization (Briner et al., 1996). The project manager must be able to convert the inputs (i.e. resources such as capital, materials, equipments, facilities, information, personnel etc.) into output of products, services and ultimately profi ts (Kerzner, 2006). In order to do this, the project manager needs strong communicative and interpersonal skills, must become familiar with the operations of each line organization and must have knowledge of the technology used (Kerzner, 2006). Project leader should have high level of communication skills to be able to successfully manage with the project. The project managers role is like a spider weaving the web and should be the centre of communication and events (Briner et al., 1996). One of the major responsibilities of the project manager is planning. If project planning is performed correctly, then it is conceivable that the project manager will work himself out of the job because the project can run itself (Kerzner, 2006).The chief executive role of the project manager involves more than that of being accountable for the activities of the project (Cusworth and Franks, 1993). It implies that the manager is expected to make things happen by active involvement. The manager role as co-ordinator is vital in co-ordinating the efforts of the project team and the stakeholders. The project manager should define the ethics, norms and values of their project team, establishing the atmosphere of the organization and the way that the various project tasks are approached. The project managers role as a diplomat requires high level of sensitivity and good negotiating skills (Cusworth and Franks, 1993). He/she must be able to negotiate the relationship between the project and its environment and must be able to ensure the political support. The project manager along with his/her team should brainstorm to decide who the various stakeholders in the project might be. The project manager should go out and talk to all of those stakeholders and develop the necessary interviewing and probing skills which enable him/her to draw out of them what their expectations are. Often, the stakeholders are uncertain about what they want (Potts, 2002; PMI, 2008). The project manager should engage in a dialogue with them to help them to think through their expectations (Jandt, 2007). The project managers initial consideration of stakeholder expectations will help him/her to begin to understand the kinds of resources the project might require and will ensure positive outcome (PMI, 2008). Talking about resources does not mean only talking about tangible resources of money, time and materials, but also about those intangible resources of technical skills, non-technical managerial and communication skills, and the vital intangible of commitment and support from particular people within the project organisation and outside it (Jandt, 2007). The project manager should need to map the risk that may occur in a project by going through a structured process (PMI, 2008). Such process might include: brainstorm possible risks; considering what was wrong in similar projects previously; clustering into related topics; weighting-seriousness and probability; focusing on the very serious and highly probable; defining the project type, and review typical risks; planning how to run the project with the risks in mind. Highlight where in the project the risks will be most crucial; deciding how to reduce the risks so that the chances and consequences of failure are minimised. The project can be considered as temporary organization because it has limited time frame, limited budget, specific goals and activities (Maylor, 1999). Some of such temporary organizations might be inter-organizational projects that involve many organizations having different specialties or expertise (Maylor, 1999). In such projects, it is very important for the project manager to ensure the flow of information from the different organizations involved within the project. The flow of information is vital for the success of such project or organization (Burke, 2007). Since these innovation projects are of interdisciplinary and innovative, the share of experiences, knowledge, and the cooperation in different stages of the project development become absolute necessary for its success. Managing international projects that are of multi organizational type is not an easy task, especially when these organizations are from different technical, cultural, political backgrounds and have different management style in their approach for handling a task (Lientz and Rea, 2003; Koster, 2010). A careful and detailed preparation of projects, especially for inter organizational ones due to their complexity, in their planning phase is vital for their success. The manager should have high experience in planning such projects. To summarize things up, the project manager should have the following attributes Ability to select and develop an operational team. Leadership skills and management ability. Ability to anticipate problems, solve problems and make decision. Ability to integrate the project stakeholders. Operational flexibility. Ability to plan, expedite and get things done. Ability to negotiate, persuade and make deals. Understand the environment within which the project is being managed. Ability to review monitor and apply control. Ability to keep the stakeholders and client happy. COMMUNICATION: ITS ROLE AND EFFECTIVENESS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT 3.1 Definition of Communication Communication is a process in which information is transmitted from a source to a receiver through various channels (JPIM, 2000). Communication means act of transferring information, exchange of information, message which is either written or verbal, and an idea for conveying thoughts effectively (Kerzner, 2001). A good definition of project communication is Project communication management includes the process required to ensure timely and appropriate generation, collection, distribution, storage, retrieval and ultimate disposition of project information (PMI, 2008, p. 243). In a project environment, communication refers to the exchange or sharing of messages and information to convey meaning and knowledge between project manager, internal and the external stakeholders (Verma, 1996). Communication is a process involving the exchange of message and the creation of meaning. No two individuals ever attach the same meaning to a message or symbol. Effectiveness of communication depends on the degree to which the individuals attach similar meanings to the messages exchanged. Stated differently, communication is effective when individuals are able to minimize misunderstandings. To say that meaning in communication is never totally same for all communicators is not to say that communication is impossible or even difficult only that is imperfect (Fisher, 1978, p. 257). When individuals communicate, they attach meaning to messages they construct and transmit to others. They also attach meaning to messages they receive from others. There are different types of communication such as verbal, written and non-verbal (Verma, 1996; Mehta, 2008). Verbal communication gives a lot of flexibility to the speaker. It is mainly used in face to face meetings, group meetings and over the telephone. While communicating verbally, the speaker can communicate with voice as well as body language. Written communication on the other hand is usually more precise (Mehta, 2008). Written communication can be in the form of letters, memos, notices, emails, reports, proposals memoranda etc. Another type of communication is the non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication refers to a speakers actions and attributes that are not purely verbal. It can be reflected in the way people dress, their tone and stance while talking, their gestures, facial expressions and their body language (Verma, 1996). 3.2 Importance of Communication Communication is an important skill for project managers to accomplish effective project management (Analoui, 1993). This skill is vital because part of management is motivating people to perform their assigned duties to the best of their ability (Perret, 1982; Scott, 1989). Effective communication is the key to success for the individual as well as for the project (Verma, 1996, p.23). By using communication skills, the project manager help to plan, direct, control and coordinate their operations throughout the project life cycle (Verma, 1996). Most of the communication activities of project managers involve interpersonal communication and project communications, sharing information with the project team members and other stakeholders. Communication is the nerve system of leadership, teamwork, cooperation and control. It determines the quality of relationships, levels of satisfaction, the extent of projects success or failure. Cleland and King (1988) in a study of fifty project managers found that managers named communication as one of the vital ingredients for successful project implementation. Moreover, Morris and Hough (1986) also argues that clear communication is necessary for project success and that effective communication is the key to high staff morale which is vital for project success. According to Ruuska (1996, p.67) More than half of the management problems in projects are more or less caused by poorly looked-after communication. Communication acts as a resource as well as tool in project management. As a resource, communication can be compared to other project resources such as time, money, people and equipment. It should be taken into consideration when planning along with the resources. On the other hand, communication is a tool which can be used for effective utilization of other project resources. Communication helps in developing relationships in the organization (Ruuska, 1996). A projec t manager uses communication more than any other element in the project management process to ensure that the team members are working cohesively on project problems and opportunities (Verma, 1996). Communication plays an important role in connecting different parts of an organization together and its external environment (Taylor and Watling, 1979). In an organization, communication is needed to inform the members about the on-going status of the project. For an effective management, it is necessary to have a two way communication channel, to and fro in and across a project organization. A good communication channel can also allow progress to be monitored; difficulties to be reported back to the executive management and expert specialist can advise on technical or commercial problems to be sought by any participant (Keeling, 2003). Communication plays an important role in influencing the whole organization that may be affected and not only those immediately involved in the change. However, the importance of communication is often neglected in many projects (Toney and Power, 1997). Furthermore, lack of communication also results in many failures in change projects (Orr and McKenzie, 1992). Failure to maintain adequate information flows, conflict among project staff or between project administrators and professional staff, as being among some of the causes for inadequate execution, operation and supervision in projects (Rondinelli, 1977). These problems which are in essence communication problems are likely contributors to project failure. Hammond (1990) states that if the intrinsic difficulties such as limitation of funds are taken away, the reason some projects fail is because of problems with people, problems that effective communication could go a long way in solving. Lack of effective communication may lead to misunderstanding. Frustration can be seen in employers due to ineffective or poor communication and may result in conflicts. Communication breakdown is a prime cause of discord or conflict (Keeling, 2003). 3.3 Model of Communication A basic model of communication is shown below: Description: C:Documents and SettingsmnmbaramDesktopcommunication model.JPG Source: Project Management Institute, 2008. This model shows how communication is transferred between the sender and the receiver. The model includes the following components: Encode. The process of putting an idea or a thought into a symbol. Message. The encoded thought or idea. Medium. Means by which the encoded message is transmitted. Noise. Anything that distorts the message. Decode. To translate the message back into thoughts and ideas. The components in the communication model should be taken into account when discussing project communication. The sender determines what information he or she intends to share, encodes this information in the form of a message, and then transmits the message as a signal to the receiver. The destination decodes the transmitted message to determine its meaning and then responds accordingly. If the message decoded is the same as the sender intended, communication is successful (Jandt, 2007). Whenever information is sent from the sender to the receiver, the sender is responsible for making the information clear to the receiver so that the receiver understands it clearly. The receiver is responsible for making sure that the information is received is in its original form and understood correctly. In order to make sure that the message is sent and understood properly, feedback is required (Verma, 1996). 3.4 Channels of Communication Three basic channels of communication in a project environment exist (Verma, 1996). They are upward communication, downward communication and lateral communication. 3.4.1. Upward communication This type of communication is called subordinate/manager communication (Fielding, 2006). It involves communication from the lowest positions in the company to the highest positions. It contains information that higher management needs to evaluate the overall performance of the project for which they are responsible (Verma, 1996). This communication is in the form of reports, memoranda or messages about individual problems and performance; company policies and practices and specific staff problems. 3.4.2 Downward Communication This communication involves managers communicating down the line to subordinates. It provides direction and control for project team members and other employees. It may include information such as missions and goals of the organisation, feedback to subordinates on their performance; procedures to be followed etc (Fielding, 2006). 3.4.3 Lateral communication This communication takes place between departments in a company or project manager and his/her peers (Verma, 1996). This communication is in the form of reports on the activities of departments to keep each other informed and information to managers on company policies and progress so that they are able to make informed decisions (Fielding, 2006). 3.5 Effectiveness of Communication Effective communication involves minimizing misunderstandings. To be effective in communicating with people, everyone must be mindful. Communicating effectively and appropriately are important aspects of being perceived as a skilled communicator (Gudykunst and Kim, 1992). Communication is only effective if the following two conditions are met (Rogers, 1976 cited in JPIM, p. 364). Firstly, the source must be willing to share the information. However, such willingness may be absent at times because the source may not be able to transmit the information, is reluctant to transmit the information or thinks that the information is irrelevant. Secondly, the information transmitted is only effective if it has an effect on the receiver. The effect maybe either change in knowledge, change in attitude or a change in behavior. Ineffective communication can occur for a variety of reasons when individuals communicate. They may not encode the message in a way that it can be understood by others, people may misinterpret what they say or both can occur simultaneously. Effective communicators are those who are motivated; knowledgeable and possess certain communication skills (Samovar and Porter, 2004, pg. 303). Project managers should be motivated; should have a positive attitude towards communication event and they should put every effort to bring about constructive results. They should have the knowledge of what topics, words or meanings are required in a situation. They should know how to assemble, plan and perform content knowledge in a particular situation. Their communication skills should be high enough to accomplish their goals (Samovar and Porter, 2004, pg. 303). For effective communication in project management, it is essential that communication should be focused. If used effectively, can reduce non-productive effort, avoid duplication and help eliminate mistakes (Clarke, 1998). Communicating effectively helps in identification of problems, helps in generating ideas leading to better solutions and helps in dealing with uncertainty. Moreover, it encourages team-work, motivates the team and ensures that every member of the team is involved (Gannon, 1994). Not only effective communication is essential for project implementation and control, it is a powerful weapon against stakeholders conflict. Communication usually fails for the following reasons; not having a clear goal in mind; not establishing relationship; being impatient; not hearing what others have to say; overabundance of ego; assuming that others have the same information on the subject that you have; mistaking interpretations for facts; failure to analyse and handle resistance (Ritz , 1990). 3.6 Communication in stages of Project Life Cycle Communication is important during various phases of the project life cycle. During the initiation/planning phase, communication planning involves determining the information and communication needs of the stakeholders: who wants what information, when will they need it, and how will it be given to them (PMI, 2008). Some other things to be given consideration are the methods of communication to be utilized during the project. These are the technologies or methods used to transfer information back and forth among project entities. Different forms of communication will need to be utilized for communicating with different types of stakeholders and different occasions. Different assumptions and constraints that will affect the project also need to be carefully thought out. Once these factors are kept in mind, develop and document a communication plan that can be shared with the entire set of stakeholders, including team members, management customers and vendors. This type of methodical pl anning can lead to a carefully constructed project communication plan (Mehta, 2008). The plan should detail out what type of communication will take place during the project, who will receive what type of information, where the information will be stored, the schedule of communication such as status reports and project team meetings. Communication with stakeholders from start to the finish of a project is essential to all project management (Verma, 1996). Once the initial communication guidelines and expectations of the project have been established, the communication plan can be executed. During the execution phase of the project, the three main communication functions are information distribution, performance reporting and project control. Information distribution involves making needed information available to project stakeholders in a timely manner. It includes implementing communication management plan and responding to unexpected requests for information (PMI, 1998, p. 106). Some of the essential tools and technologies for information distribution are communication skills and information distribution system. Many of the project deliverables and records result from this function such as meeting minutes and decision documents. Various tools and techniques can be used for performance reporting such as performance reviews, variance analysis, traffic light reports, earned value analysis and trend analysis (Scott and billing, 1998). The output that results from performance reporting are performance reports and project change requests that is generated due to corrective action that needs to be taken to address a variance from the original plans or additional customer needs. All of these functions are useful for project control. Keeping the project on track according to the project plan, budget and estimates that have been laid out is of prime importance. If the project needs to vary from any of these established plans, the project information distribution system should be utilized. The project stakeholders need to be informed and new expectations need to be set. Following a set of established project management processes can be helpful in identifying events that are not planned for. When unexpected events occur , assessing the impact and quickly communicating them to the affected people according to your established communication plan can be efficiently addressed them. Some simple things that a project manager needs to keep i

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Racial Privilege in America Past and Present Essay -- essays research

The Blame Game: a Prelude to Racial Privilege In order to fully understand an easily debatable and highly controversial policy, such as racial privilege, one must first understand the political and social climates that led up to it. Racial privilege has been practiced during two periods in America’s past: the post-reconstruction era, via Jim Crow laws, and today, by way of affirmative action. After Reconstruction in the American south, landowners reorganized their land in such a way that it could be farmed without the use of slaves. The most common structure employed sharecropping, in which the land owner divided his property into several plots of land, each farmed by different individuals who paid for the use of this land with a predetermined percentage of their harvested crop. At its onset, sharecropping was a racially diverse program. Boyer et all notes that â€Å"By 1880†¦ white sharecroppers now outnumbered black ones, although a higher proportion of southern blacks, about 75 percent, were involved in the system† (597). Tenants, most having no capital with which to purchase farm equipment, livestock, and seed, offer yet another pre-determined percentage of their harvested crop as collateral and repayment for loans. Since both the landowner and the creditor were invested in the profitability of the farmer’s crops, they insisted that these farmer s raise only easily marketable cash-crops, limiting crop diversification (Boyer 598). When supply began to exceed demand, value of these crops rapidly declined. Sharecroppers, both white and black, were plunged heavily into debt and poverty. The failure of this system presented a window of opportunity for the Democratic leaders of the Old South who wish to restore the power stru... ... Eds. Christopher Jencks, and Meredith Phillips. Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution. 1998. 431-56. King, Jr., Martin Luther. I Have a Dream. March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Washington, D.C. 28 August 1963. Rai, Kul B., and John W. Critzer. Affirmative Action and the University. Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 2000. Skrentny, John David. The Ironies of Affirmative Action. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996. Steele, Shelby. A Dream Deferred: The Second Betrayal of Black Freedom in America. New York: HarperCollins, 1998. ---. White Guilt: How Blacks and Whites Together Destroyed the Promise of the Civil Rights Era. New York: HarperCollins, 2006. Sterba, James P. â€Å"The Case for Preferential Treatment.† Affirmative Action in the University. Ed. Steven M. Cahn. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 1993. 286-90.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

An Occurance at owl creek bridge :: essays research papers

Throughout the story, we are able to see of different of a world Ambrose Bierce lived in compared to the one that we know. This is the first part of the story that noticed, because in today’s world, no man would ever be hung, let alone executed for tampering with a bridge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Peyton Farquhar grew up as a rich southerner. He had everything that a man could want at that point in time: a wife, children, land and slaves. However, he had always felt something was missing. Due to the fact he was unable to fight in the army, he did not feel like he was really a man. This is why he was willing to anything as â€Å"no service was too humble to him to perform in aid of the south, no adventure too perilous for him to undertake if consistent with the character of a civilian who was a soldier at heart†. Farquhar was blinded by his enthusiasm at it ultimately resulted in his demise. His actions to tamper with the bridge did not completely end in failure. The illusion of escape and heroism that he went through prior to his death, was the most alive he has ever felt.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Looking back at Farquhar imagined journey back to his house, you begin to realized the pains and emotions that we was experiencing were more of a man hanging, than of one that just escaped from one. The first example is when Farquhar enters the forest and is surprised to see how dense the forest was, as â€Å"he had not known that he lived in so wild a region† and the stars were in an unfamiliar pattern that night as well. He also refers to the pain he experiences in his neck and his were feeling â€Å"congested† and he could not close them. This is because there is great force being applied to his neck and head from the noose. Farquhar was also because to experience thirst so great that his tongue was beginning to swell, but his tongue was really swelling from the pressure applied by the rope. He began to walk on the untraveled avenue, which symbolizes the avenue of death, and could no longer feel the ground beneath his feet. It felt as if he were w alking on air, which proved to be an indication of hanging.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Peyton also notices a very loud, striking sound as he tries to concentrate on his wife and children.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Black Boy Essay

Most African American families in the South were lower class and committed dangerous acts to survive, â€Å"Richard suffered poverty and hunger experiences that later became themes of his work†. He would have to wait a long period of time before food was available for him, â€Å"You’ll have to wait till I get a job to buy food†. The lower class did desperate things to get money â€Å"Richard sneak into saloons and begs for pennies and drinks†. Many African Americans suffered horribly from poverty, â€Å"My mothers’ suffering grew into a symbol, gathering to itself all the poverty, the ignorance, the helplessness, the pain, hunger ridden days and hours†. The Jim Crow South brought many adversities for Blacks and poverty was a major part of that. Poverty not only took away the physical things in their lives, but also it took away from their internal selves as human beings. The things they had in their lives that they were deprived of, did not mean as much to them as losing who they are as a person, â€Å"I would send other words to tell, to march, to fight, to create a sense of the hunger of life that gnaws in us all, to keep alive in our hearts a sense of the inexpressibly human†. Racism in the Jim Crow South was brutal, unnecessary, and in some cases fatal. Racism in the United States South was a major theme, and impacted the life of Richard both in a positive and negative way. The only positive aspect of it was that he and many other African Americans overcame it and helped them become better people. In most cases racism affected lives in a negative way. Most African Americans were both physically and mentally pushed to their limit and caused permanent scars in their lives, â€Å"Having been thrust out of the world because of my race, I had accepted my destiny by not being curious about what shaped it†, The quote by Richard shows the racism was present and unfair, you can still move on and not let it be damaging to your daily lives and emotions. Richard experienced many abusive events resulting from racism, â€Å"He experienced some of the most severe abuses of racial oppression in Mississippi†. African Americans have the theory that White people are dangerous and not to be trusted, â€Å"the Jim Crow South was a system of racial segregation practiced in some states of the US, and it gave whites a reason to treat Blacks as second class citizens†. Richard falls into a category of Black youth who fears the White community and has a hard time interacting with them, â€Å"Richard feels psychological tension around Whites†. The major reason why Richard is a part of the Great Migration and fled North is because of racism. The segregation Blacks had to deal with also took away many educational opportunities, â€Å"No education could alter what the meaning of living, came only when one was struggling†. Racism took away many privileges and rights away from Blacks. Many African Americans in the South moved north for better opportunities, and this vast moment was known as the Great Migration. It was hard for many African Americans to leave the South because that was the only life they knew, â€Å"Nine out of ten African Americans lived in the American South in 1900, by 1930, 3 in 10 lived outside the house†. Richard Wrights’ Black Boy shows how racism destroyed the lives of many African Americans, but for some it did just the opposite, as for Richard it drove him to be the successful writer he is today. Violence affected African American youth in a negative way, and it varied how they let it affect the rest of their lives. Poverty took a major toll on the lives of African Americans during the Jim Crow South system, and affected the majority in an unconstructive way. Racism made a huge impact on the lives of the Blacks because it affected their emotions, physicality, home life, and way of being. For some, racism lead to death or completely ruined their lives, but others took the hardship of racism and went with it in the opposite direction. Richard Wright, once a trouble African American boy, now a flourishing writer.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Civil Liberties, Habeas Corpus, and the War on Terror

The history of the Right of Habeas and the war on terror, it stated in the article The Tissue of Structure by Anthony Gregory â€Å"It has been celebrated for centuries in the Anglo-American tradition as a means of questioning government power. It is probably the most revered of all of the checks and balances in our legal history—as William Blackstone commented,† â€Å"the most celebrated writ in English law† (Gregory, A. 2011, 2nd par. ). The Habeas corpus is to protect the individual from being imprisoned wrongly and due to a fair trial. Although, questions arise regarding whether proper use of habeas corpus been brought into focus over the last ten years. In this essay I will explore the history of Habeas Corpus and how it has evolved over the many years. I will try to briefly explain how the habeas corpus originated and the role the U. S. has and the current actions being taken with it. I will look into the Bush administration and the way the way they dealt with habeas corpus during his administration. Let’s look at the history of habeas corpus it stated in an article entitled Habeas Corpus The most extraordinary writ that the history of â€Å"Habeas Corpus is ancient†. Although the precise origin of Habeas Corpus is uncertain of its antiquity† (Robertson, J. 2008). The primary effects were achieved during the middle ages by the use of a variety of writs, which gave a comparable effect as the modern writ and current policies. It also stated that â€Å"the practice surrounding the writ has evolv ed over time† (Robertson, J. 2008, para. 2). Since the earliest of times the Habeas Corpus was designed to bring forth any person in custody be brought before the court. While the Habeas Corpus was originally the privilege writ of a King and his courts, over the course of hundreds of years’ time has allowed it to evolve into a privilege for the person being detained, or a person or someone acting on his or her interest. Meanwhile Habeas Corpus was generally unknown by the diverse civil law systems of Europe which were devolved from the Roman or Justinian law and the current war on terror. While the civil law systems of Europe favor authority from the top down, the Anglo-Saxon common law favors the individual. Although the Habeas Corpus is an attribute of common law, let it be understood that it is an important one; the right of Habeas Corpus reveals the challenge between the individual and state. â€Å"Habeas Corpus empowers the individual in holding accountable the exercise of the state’s awesome power to restrain liberty† (Robertson, J. 2008, para. 3). The original purpose behind the Habeas Corpus â€Å"was to bring people to the court rather than out of imprisonment† by the year 1230, this would become a well- known characteristic of English law. Which becomes known as â€Å"the Great Writ† the systematization into the English law would come by way of Parliament through Habeas Corpus act of 1641. This generated what is known today as the Darnell’s case, during the case five English noblemen were thrown into the dungeon for refusing to fight for their country’s war with France and Spain. Giving the fact that the men filed suit, King Charles I refused to give details as to why they were imprisoned, â€Å"stating that the law did not require the King to provide any justification as to why they were being imprisoned,† (Jackson, A. 010) The Kings decision generated a deafening outcry from the public, causing the Parliament to seek action immediately the following year. The Habeas rights were expanded by the Parliament several years later with the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679, making it mandatory that â€Å"charges to be brought within a specific time period for anyone detained for criminal acts† (Jackson, A. 2010). By the year 1765, the habeas corpus was securely rooted within the footing of English law, William Blackstone describes the Great Writ as â€Å"a second magna carta, a fortification of our liberties† (Jackson, A. 010). The Habeas Corpus being a deep-seated English right has navigated the Atlantic Ocean when our founders integrated the doctrine of Habeas Corpus into the U. S. constitution. It also stated in the article that â€Å"The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it† (Jackson, A. L. 2010). This is known as the â€Å"Suspension Clause† it is a provision that places the ability to suspend habeas corpus in the hands of the congress only in the event of rebellion or an invasion. It goes on to state that despite the clarity of the clause, the American debate on habeas corpus is just beginning. (Jackson, A. 2010). However, being the Habeas Corpus has a long history, being a common law of the land that throughout history the Habeas Corpus has only been authorized to be suspended four times in our history, 1. ) President Lincoln put forth an autarchic suspension during the Civil War, 2. ) post-Civil War Congress would authorize President Grant to suspend the Ku Klux Klan act. 3. ) 1902 when the rebellion in Philippines and 4. comes in 1941 after the attack on Pearl Harbor. (Jackson, A. L. 2010) It would seem that the â€Å"Great Writ† of habeas corpus was established to protect our civil liberties; it ensures us that no one could be imprisoned without having a fair trial. From the late seventeenth century the English constitution was common law and protected the rights of the Englishmen and since 1903 it had been a flawless solution. After the Johnson v. Eisentrager, government officials relying on the court’s decision deemed that holding enemy combatants outside the U. S. territory would inadmissibly keep individuals from filing, claims aimed at the habeas corpus review along with other things. In 2002 the United Stated started conveyance of the captured enemies to Camp X-Ray located at Guantanamo Bay, this causing the legal position of the government were to be tested immediately as the enemy combatants started to arrive. February 2002, claim submissions of the writs of habeas corpus starting coming in from the prisoners of Guantanamo Bay Camp X-Ray. One question one would ask is how will the court respond to claims being filed by the prisoners? The answer to the question is that, answers would come as fast as the writs, they came with deviating answers. It states that during the Coalition of Clergy v. Bush, The U. S. Central division of the District of California would approximate the issue in lue of government expectations; although they relied on the Johnson v. Eisentrager decision they deemed that the court would hold several U. S. itizens under the â€Å"Coalition of Clergy, Lawyers, and Professors â€Å"who had filed â€Å"show cause† petitions on behalf of enemy combatants held at Guantanamo Bay lacked â€Å"standing to assert claims on behalf of the detainees† the court would establish that, although a petitioner may have just cause, the simply lacked the jurisdiction to accommodate. Giving the fact that the Military Commission Act, it does not fully guarantee the full protection of American citizen consti tutional rights for the Guantanamo prisoners. Although Congress tried due process for enemy combatants it would come under major scrutiny. It goes on to state in the article that â€Å"The faint beat of the drum that once existed has now grown to a considerable pounding rhythm. The Court expressed the statutory right of foreign nationals detained at Guantanamo Bay to file habeas corpus claims in federal courts regardless of the geographic location of their detention† and that to suspend the â€Å"Great Writ† and ensure a proper level of protection is afforded to all enemy combatants† (Jackson, A. L. 2010). Let’s take a look into what has transpired since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, In 2006 Congress has passed the Authorization for Use of Military Force, this grants the President the power â€Å"to use all necessitous and suitable force† for all those who were engaged or involved or may have gave sanctuary to any enemy combatants (Pond, B. C. 2009). Let’s take a look as to why and how the reasoning for the U. S. confinement policy deviates from the Bush administration’s order of the comprehensive military order on November 13, 2001, this was intended to preside over the â€Å"Detention, Treatment, and Trial of Certain Non-Citizens in the War Against Terrorism†(Staab, J. B. 2008). Rumor has it they modeled this after President Roosevelt’s military order during World War II, However President Bush’s order put limits on the use of military commissions any non-citizen for whom the president determines: (1) is or was a member of al Qaeda, (2) has committed, aided or abetted, or conspired to commit terrorist acts, or (3) has knowingly harbored one or more of these individuals. (Jackson, A. L. 2010). In the final conflict with Boumethene v. Bush the supreme court ruled in favor of 5 to 4 that the detainees of Guantanamo Bay were indeed allowed to exercise the writ and were granted use of the justice system. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy stated in the majority opinion: The Constitution is created to survive, and to stay in forced in times of a threat to National security. The Supreme Court brings an end to one of the Nation’s injustices, in giving the prisoners of Guantanamo Bay the justice they are entitled to. This also gives us a lesson on how delicate our constitution rights are in. The role of the President and Commander in chief is Article II of the Constitution states â€Å"The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. † Section 2 of Article II states that â€Å"The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States. † (Levin, 2012) I believe the Role of President would be one of the hardest jobs. Being all the hard decisions he has to make. When dealing with Habeas Corpus and the role of commander-in-chief I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes, because I wouldn’t have a clue as to handle the situation of the war on terror and enemy combatants. Congress’s role in habeas corpus as to when it can be suspended, this is a good thing in them having the right to override the Presidents decision for suspension, we need someone looking out to make sure he isn’t making bad decision or poor judgement. The role of the Supreme Court seems to be the deciding vote to make sure everyone gets their day in court and the right to a fair trial. (Levin, 2010) So in conclusion, Although this has been the most difficult essay I have had to write, I believe the Habeas Corpus is an essential part of our constitution and civil liberties, because you know the ole saying â€Å"innocent until proven guilty† and everyone deserves their day in court and has the right to a fair trial. My thoughts on the war on terror, this is something I don’t fully understand, my question is why we get involved in the problems of other countries why should we get involved if it doesn’t affect us? Why send our soldiers to get killed over another countries problems? Who would have thought that our civil liberties could be so complicated. Why not keep them home and fix some of the problems here at home.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Bill Clinton and leadership Essay

For the purpose of this paper, I have chosen the political leader and the former president of the United States, Bill Clinton as the subject of my essay. This paper is based on two of his autobiographical books which were based on his early childhood as well as his life before, during and after his presidency. The book My Life is an autobiographical account by Bill Clinton himself. He is the sole author of the book which was published in the year 2004. The book clearly outlines the various events of his life. These events pertained to the inauguration of Clinton as the 42nd president of the United States of America. This second volume, the first being a biography by Adam by the name of Bill Clinton, puts Clintons term in the office as the epic fall and the term of redemption. This was mostly indicated like such I the book due to the disastrous failure which came bout due to the actions of Mack McLarty, the white house chief of staff, as well as the promiscuous behavior of Clinton and the relationship with Hilary Clinton which was more emphatically and influential than his specific term. The years of 1993-1994 are depicted as the time where things were falling apart for both America as well as the Clintons. However the period following that pertaining to 1995-1996 the book depicts Clinton as In terms of the leadership and presidency Bill Clinton was much favored as being the revolutionary and sensible politician who with the support of his first lady was able to make America as the greatest nation of power in the world. The book also made use of many military metaphors to describe the situation the context of the book. It was highly apparent by reading the book that it was mostly about the evolution and change in the personality of Bill Clinton following his inauguration as the President of the United States. The change in him depicted him as being an arch baby boomer to the undisputed leader of his country. The accounts covered by Clinton were very much expected as he takes into account the bogus scandal of Whitewater, the unethical dalliance with Monica Lewinsky as well as his attempts at managing and balancing the budget for the United Stated of America. Other topics covered in the book also pertain to the Middle Eastern crisis and the peace plan proposed by him. However the more illuminating topics those were discusses in the book related to his personality and his life on a much personal note. This depicted the strength he showed as a person and how ,much the person as developed, and matured over the years in terms of his decision making him an ideal president for the United States during his time at the white house. The book itself however is ill organized and quite chaotic. The reason for this which can be ascertained for the events following and surrounding the launch of the book as well as the statement given by Bill Clinton himself was that the book is basically the picture into his life and the various significant events that took place in it. It is very much like the efforts of a small school boy however the content varies in terms of several topics and themes. The period of the presidency is treated like a rush period where the events merge into each other and the timeline is haphazard skipping large time variables in some instances. However despite the lack of maturity in the book, and the ill organization of the content the book did become a best seller, its sales even surpassing the sales of the memoirs of Hilary Clinton. The book My Life by Bill Clinton suffered criticism for the former advisor of Clinton’s Dick Morris who wrote a rebuttal by the name of Because HE Could. Through this book, Dick Morris set right and pointed pout the various inaccuracies which were present in the autobiographical account by Bill Clinton. The authors view on leadership however pertains to a more peaceful and negotiation based method of employing power and making use of it. Bill Clinton is of the opinion that in order to be able to run the country, a dictatorship is not the answer, instead innovative and democratic methods pertaining to dissemination of ideas across the board is a much better way of conducting managerial tasks. The author has stated through his autobiographies as well that the bet for of leadership is when the leader takes into account the point of view of those around him, gathering the specialized intellect available and then unanimously voting on the most beneficial and cost effective solution/ decision for the specific issue or case. This is a very democratic approach to decision making. However in the form of leadership described by Bill Clinton, it is essential to have a formal figurehead as this has the effect of providing the followers and the general population with one pint of view as well as a unified direction. The decision itself may be a democratic one however the proceedings to be carried out have to be collaborative in nature dictates from one source. The aspect of democratic leadership can be applied to the leadership for schools. The reason for this is that the political landscape pertaining to the role of leadership is much institutionalized. This is the same case with schools and colleges which are institutionalized as well with a formal set of rules and ethical code of conduct. However the differences settle in relative to the size of the operation. The operations conducted by Clinton were extensive, even global in nature. The scope for the school is restricted somewhat limited inn terms of the resources available, the staff participation and the relevance and long term effect of the decision making. However the same principle of school leadership as a form of democratic leadership can be employed. School leadership can be employed using democratic leadership styles characteristic of Bill Clinton by giving autonomy as well as decision making power to the lower staff and managers for their operations as well. This is an important component of the democratic leadership as the management and staff is usually the closest entity to the students and can understand their issues and problems much better. Moreover by being close to the students in terms of proximity the staff is also able to observe them and make them provide inputs for the prospective solution to the problem and the long term strategic goals of the institution. This information can be gathered form the expert and specialized managers and staff in the school and then relayed on to the appointed leader. The chairman for the board of directors of the school can then take this information in to account as well as any other information that would be reported by the management and the staff. After performing a cost benefit analysis and the long term strategy and profitability analysis the board of directors would be able to ascertain upon the main strategy for the school and how the issues need to be addressed. The above mentioned format for leadership enables almost all the members of the organization to participle and conduct a two way communication with the leader or the leaders of the organization. The solutions and strategies formed through this method are more accepted by all those concerned an in the long run are mostly effective as well. In terms of applying the leadership techniques and theories mentioned in the book and practiced by Bill Clinton clearly depict that the leader has to be an enigmatic person who has charisma and charm to carry out the role of being a figurehead and a liaison to the elements in the external environment. These views would enable me to hold a position of leadership in the school by making the fellow students aware of the characteristics that I have for being a potential leader as well as the communication and negotiation skills that would enable me to conduct discussions with them pertaining to the solution of the issues and the problems that hand. Aside from this the enigmatic personality is good for public relations as well as gaining the confidence and support of those around me. References 1. Clinton, B. , (2004), My Life, Publisher: Knopf, ISBN-10: 0375414576

Saturday, September 14, 2019

African Americans : the Role of Race Essay

Abstract The Following Essay defines and integrates the role race plays on the African American culture in their family values and politics in comparison to the Anglo American Culture. The United States has become increasingly diverse in the last century. While African American families share many features with other U. S. families, the African American family has some distinctive features relating to the timing and approaches to marriage and family formation, gender roles, parenting styles, and strategies for coping with adversity. African cultures, slavery, slave rebellions, and the civil rights movements(circa 1800s-160s)have shaped African American religious, familial, political and economic behaviors. The imprint of Africa is evident in myriad ways, in politics, economics, language, music, hairstyles, fashion, dance, religion and worldview, and food preparation methods. In the United States, the very legislation that was designed to strip slaves of culture and deny them education served in many ways to strengthen it. In turn, African American culture has had a pervasive, transformative impact on myriad elements of mainstream American culture, among them language, music, dance, religion, cuisine, and agriculture. This process of mutual creative exchange is called creolization. Over time, the culture of African slaves and their descendants has been ubiquitous in its impact on not only the dominant American culture, but on world culture as well. The Role of Race According to the U. S. Census Bureau 13. 6 percent, 42 million, of the total U. S population was made of people who identified themselves as black. This is a 15. 4% increase from 2000 to 2010 (Rastogi, Johnson, Hoeffel & Drewery, 2011). Is it becoming increasingly difficult to describe the American black population, though the majority of American blacks trace their heritage to slavery, an increasing minority are voluntary immigrants or their descendants. More Africans have entered the United States since 1990 as voluntary immigrants than entered as slaves before slave trafficking was outlawed in the early nineteenth century ( Marger 2012 p. 178). Never before and in no other country have as many varied ethnic groups congregated and combined as they have in the United States. With such reputation, here is exactly where the famous term â€Å"melting pot† arises. This conception has traditionally been perceived as the best expression to describe the multi-ethnicity of America. Its basic idea presents the whole nation as one large pot. Anyone who enters the United States is automatically thrown into this â€Å"pot† where, for the following years, a process of assimilation into the American belief systems is taken place. Assimilation is all the cultural aspects that one brings into are blended together, or melted, to form a new culture. The outcome of this massive procedure is the â€Å"melted† version of a culture, which is described as characteristically â€Å"American. † It is notable that in this assimilation, the identities of each original culture are extinguished to bring out a complete new mixture Slavery Part of the control mechanism of slavery was to strip African Americans of identity, language, and culture of their homeland. This was done by undermining and replacing family structures with temporary ones built around identity as slaves. This undermining was not however entirely successful as many slaves organized themselves into family structures very similar to nuclear families. Family Formation Within African American families, the formation of a household often begins not with marriage, but with birth of a child. 56% of African American children are born into families where the mother is not married to the biological father. Single women head 54% of African American households. African American women are taught to be strong and independent, to prepare for careers rather than rely on marriage for economic security. Marriage According to the 2010 census only 40% of black households were married couples. While 40% of African American men and 35% of African American women over 18 had ever been married. Experts attribute this decrease to factors including a shortage of marriageable African American men and to structural, social, and economic factors. Black males have a 32 percent chance of serving time in prison, as compared to 6 percent of white males. Nearly one in three African American men in their twenties is in prison, on parole, or on probation. Blacks account for 28% of arrests even though they represent only 13% of the nations population. These realities decrease an African American woman’s chances of finding a marriageable mate. Conflict Theory suggests that Higher arrest rate is not surprising for a group that is disproportionately poor and therefore much less able to afford private attorneys, who might prevent formal arrests from taking place Parenting and Discipline African American families tend to be more strict, to hold demanding behavioral standards, and to use physical discipline. This is however, balanced within a context of strong support and affection. Physical punishment among African American families usually doesn’t result in the same negative outcomes as it does for white children. Income and wealth In 2005 Median income of Black families was $37,500 compared with $64,663 for White non-Hispanic households. Black income today resembles that of Whites more than 10 years ago. African American unemployment is 11. 2 percent, which is more than double that of whites. Factors explaining official unemployment rate of young African American males * Many live in depressed economy of central cities * Immigrants and illegal aliens present increased competition * White middle-class women entered the labor force * Illegal activities at which youth find they can make more money have become more prevalent One in four African Americans are poor, compared to one in twelve whites Politics President Kennedy, in a 1961 executive order, was the first president to call for affirmative action by prohibiting discrimination against minorities by contractors who receive federal funds. The order also told them to hire and promote minorities. Supporters of affirmative action sought not just equality of opportunity but equality of results. The fact that millions of Americans, both black and white, hoped that retired General Colin Powell, an African American, would run for president in 1996 was a milestone. The color of a person’s skin was no longer a barrier to seeking the nation’s highest office. By 2004, there were 39 African Americans in the House of Representatives and more than 9,101 others in elective offices throughout the nation. Three African Americans served in the cabinet, and another sat on the Supreme Court. * Four hundred forty-five African Americans were mayors of major cities. * A federal holiday is now observed for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. * Retired General Colin Powell held the highest military post * On January 20, 2009 Barrack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the Unites States. His inauguration was attended by an estimated 1. 8 million people on the Washington National Mall, the Capital grounds, and the parade route. Hundreds of millions in the country and around the world watched the historical event on television. Stressing unity, responsibility, change, and action. Obama declared,† Starting today we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again, the work of remaking America. † Slavery Part of the control mechanism of slavery was to strip African Americans of identity, language, and culture of their homeland. This was done by undermining and replacing family structures with temporary ones built around identity as slaves. This undermining was not however entirely successful as many slaves organized themselves into family structures very similar to nuclear families. n). Baltimore, Maryland Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: African American Families. (2001). Retrieved on July 11, 2005 from p2001. health. org/cit04/res7. htm Webb, Nancy Boyd. (2001). Culturally Diverse Parent-Child and Family Relationships. New York: Columbia University Press. Woods, L. & Jagers, R. (2003). Are Cultural Values Predictors of Moral Reasoning in African American Adolescents? Journal of Black Psychology, 29, 102-118. Marger, M. N. (2012). Race and ethnic relations: American and global perspectives, ninth edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Rastogi, S. , Johnson, T. D. , Hoeffel, E. M. , & Drewery, J. (2011, September). Retrieved from http://www. census. gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-06. pdf Live text Upload * Courses Main Page > * SOC 240 HY 20 – CLTR SSCI > * SOC 240 HY 20 – CLTR SSCI Assignments.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Training Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Training - Assignment Example One factor that could be attributed to the failure was the training. My training manager used an inappropriate method to deliver the training; therefore, I did not make the desired progress in my work. I failed to meet my goals and I was instructed to write this report. After discussing various issues in the paper, three recommendations were made. First, the organisation should employ professional trainers who will give the employees many alternatives on the training techniques. Second, a needs assessment ought to be conducted to ensure that the employees are provided with the right information. Thirdly, the organisation should consider giving training that will enhance loyalty. 2. Introduction In all organisations, human resources are regarded as powerful sources of the firm’s success. Therefore, it is important for managers to take interest in their employees since they are held responsible for their performance. Managers should ensure that they understand their employeesâ⠂¬â„¢ needs and provide training in order to enhance their abilities. This largely impacts the firm since it determines its goals achievement (Yang, 2010:2). In this case, the line manager understands that I was competent, in that, the quality of work did was outstanding. However, I failed to pass the level I expected showing that I did not meet the set targets. The organisation understands the importance of training. ... The use of unsuitable methods in the trainings must have resulted to my failure to achieve the goals set. In order to improve my productivity and achieve the set organisation’s goals, there are certain objectives I need to set. First, I will persuade the training manager to use the correct methods in order to ensure that the training is beneficial. Second, using the skills learnt in the successful training, I will increase my productivity and achieve the set goals. 3. Training Training is described as the practice of providing learning opportunities to the employees through mentoring, coaching, workshops or other methods in an effort to challenge, motivate, and inspire them (Frazis and Speltzer, 2005:49). This process is meant to help them play their roles efficiently and execute their functions with ultimate capability and in the set standards. The process of training provides the employees and the managers with the tools needed to develop their careers, perform tasks more ef fectively, enhance their knowledge base and efficiently work among different employees and work conditions (Heathfield, 2013). A large number of managers recognise training as an effective tool for improving performance among the employees. Training helps in the development of employees’ skills, increase in their quality of work and the enhancement of productivity. The managers usually set targets, which they expect the employees to meet comfortably. Successfully meeting these targets indicates excellent performance while failure indicates poor performance. All employees, including those who succeed in meeting the organisation’s goals, need training to improve their morale and build loyalty for their organisation (Yang, 2010:2). 3.1 Who